IPS Eligibility 2021: UPSC conducts the All India Civil Services Exam every year to recruit eligible candidates in various administrative cadres. The IPS is one of the top services in ‘Group A’ category. The role demands good leadership and commanding skills. Successful candidates get appointed into the police forces at both central and state level. Candidates who clear the UPSC exam with high ranking stand a good chance to get appointed as IPS officers. In this article, we provide detail information about IPS Exam eligibility criteria that includes nationality, educational qualifications, age criteria, physical standards, and more.
Eligibility Criteria for Indian Police Service (IPS)
- Nationality: Applicants must be Indian citizens only.
- Age Criteria: Age criteria of all candidates are taken into account as on 1st August of the year the exam is being conducted.
- Minimum Age limit – 21 Years
- Maximum Age limit – 32 Years
- If a candidate is applying for the year 2021, he/she should have been born between 2nd August 1988 and 1st August 1999 only.
- Age Relaxation: All candidates belonging to reserved categories shall enjoy relaxation in upper age limit. Follow this table for more information:
| Category | Relaxation Permitted | Maximum Age Limit |
| General Category and Economically Weaker Sections(EWS) | Not applicable | 32 years |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | Up to 3 years | 35 years |
| Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) | Up to 5 years | 37 years |
| Personnel from defence services [ Disabled while on duty] | Up to 3 years | 35 years |
| Ex-servicemen | Up to 5 years | 37 years |
| Physically disabled candidates/ candidates who are visually impaired or having hearing impairments | Up to 10 years | 42 years |
Special note for age relaxation norms:
- Candidates belonging to reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC) and also categorised under ex-servicemen/ candidates with physical disabilities are entitled to joint age norms by combining both the category relaxations.
- Physically disabled candidates have to undergo certain medical tests as required by the authorities.
- Age proof should be aligned with details provided in birth certificate or tenth standard marks card or any government recognised document.
Number of Attempts
The number of attempts for each category is listed below:
- General Merit – 6 attempts
- OBC – 9 attempts
- SC/ST – unlimited number of attempts
- Physically handicapped candidates belonging to General and EWS categories – 9 attempts
- Physically handicapped candidates belonging to OBC category – 9 attempts
- Physically handicapped candidates belonging to SC/ST category – Unlimited number of attempts
A candidate who appears for the IAS exam, irrespective of the result, is counted as an attempt made by the candidate. Candidates who clear the prelims exam shall be eligible to take up the mains exam for the same year only.
Educational Qualification for IPS
- A bachelor’s degree from a recognised university is the minimum educational qualification required by a candidate.
- Candidates awaiting their final year results/ about to take up the last year exam can also attend the prelims exam. IF they are selected for the mains exam, they would be required to produce proof of passing the degree exam.
- Any other qualification equivalent to graduation as ascertained by the commission under special allowances.
- Candidates who have pursued technical/ professional qualifications that are considered equivalent to graduation degree.
- Candidates who are pursuing an internship in their MBBS degree can attempt the mains exam with a provisional medical exam passing certificate issued by their respective universities. During the interview, they are required to produce medical degree award plus completion of the internship period.
Medical Fitness Tests
A candidate who successfully clears all three rounds of the exam is selected by UPSC. He/she is further subjected to a medical examination as per standard norms. All candidates have to undergo a medical test to qualify for various posts certainly. This is the basic medical examination. Candidates selected under technical posts like IPS, Railway Protection Force, DANIPS etc. have special medical guidelines for candidates with respect to height, chest measurements etc. to fulfil. For IPS, the physical standard measurements prescribed are:
| Details | Males | Females |
| Height | 165 cm | 150 cm |
| Height in particular for ST, Gorkhas community, Assamese, Kumaonis and Nagaland citizens | 160 cm | 145 cm |
| Chest measurement [ Fully expanded] | 84 cm | 79 cm |
| Expansion | 5 cm | 5 cm |
Vision standards for IPS
The following tabulation describes distant and near vision standards for IPS candidates:
| Details | For corrected vision | Worse eye condition |
| Long sight | 6/6 or 6/9 | 6/12 or 6/9 |
| Short sight | J1 | J2 |
| Corrections permitted | Use of spectacles and contact lenses. Lasik, ICL and IOL surgeries are also permitted. | |
| Refractive error limit permitted |
| |
| Requirements for colour vision | High graded vision | |
| Requirements for binocular vision | Yes | |
| Squint eye condition | Not accepted | |
Miscellaneous Medical Requirements
IPS candidates should also have these standard requirements:
- Blood pressure: For candidates below 25 years, systolic pressure should be in the range 100-130 mm and diastolic pressure less than 90 mm. For candidates above 25 years, systolic pressure should be in the range 110-140 mm and diastolic pressure less than 90 mm.
- Candidates should not suffer from nasal stuttering disorders during the conversation.
- Candidates should have the good hearing ability. Ear cavity should be normal. Ears should be able to hear sounds between 1000-4000 frequency hertz. Hearing impairment, if any, should be less than 30 decibels.
- Women candidates should not be pregnant while undergoing medical tests.